Awka – No fewer than seven persons escaped death when a vehicle conveying players and Coach of Community Secondary School (CSS) Aguluezechukwu, Aguata Local Government Area had an accident along Oba-Nnewi road.

The team was going to the final of this year’s Anambra Academicals Football competition on Saturday, when 7 of the affected persons sustained various degrees of injuries, including spinal cord.

Those injured in the crash where rushed to a private hospital at Oba but were later referred to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Awka due to the seriousness of their cases.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, the Chief Medical Director, COOUTH, Dr Lawrence Ikeako, who was personally attending to the patients, said that efforts were being made to save the situation.

Ikeako said the hospital could manage some of the cases but for the Coach of the team, Benson Udeh, who had a spinal cord injury and needed to be referred to a specialist hospital.

He described Udeh’s case as complicated and promised to provide every medical assistance possible to ensure he was stable and moved to an appropriate facility.

The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, described the accident `as unfortunate’ and that the state government was doing everything possible to save their lives.

Omenugha said the victims were children of the state and that government was deeply concerned about their plight.

“I hurriedly left the stadium before the matches started when I received the information about the accident and personally ensured that they were moved to the Teaching Hospital.

“I have informed His Excellency, Gov. Willie Obiano about it, the commissioner for Health is aware and I am in touch with the Chief Medical Director who has assured us that they will properly attended to them.

“They are our children and we will do our best to ensure that they come back to normalcy, it’s quite unfortunate,” she said.

The Chief Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon of COOUTH, Dr Ifeanyi Ezeobi, said that Udeh’s condition needed timely intervention and was also expensive.

“It’s a complication that needs urgent intervention, Benson needs a specialist attention and unfortunately, Orthopedic doctors are on strike, so after due evaluation, he has to be moved to Enugu,” he said.

Udeh is also the Coach of Anambra Gymnastics team and had taken them to National competitions, where they won laurels.

NAN reports that the Principal of the School, Mr Blessing Egege, lead a team sympathisers including Parents Teachers Association (PTA), members and people of Aguluezechukwu Community to ascertain the conditions of their loved ones.

In the final matches of the Anambra Academicals soccer competition, CSS Aguluezechukwu lost to CSS Isu-Anocha, Awka North Local Government Area, 6-7 on penalties in the male category.

Ogbunka Community Secondary School, Orumba North defeated Ogidi Girls’ Secondary School, Idemili North , 1-0 in the female category.

NAN reports that the Anambra Academicals Soccer competition kicked off on Nov. 28, 2015 but was uncompleted at the final stage before the new Sports Commissioner, Uju Nwogu decided to conclude it .